I’m always wanting to try different things with lighting and composition. Putting myself in situations where I need to really observe what the light is doing and how it’s interacting with my subjects is always a good idea to push boundaries, and put some fresh, creative juices back in your empty cup.
I’ve always wanted to try photographing in a carpark. One of my favorite portrait shots of all time was shot by Ben Sasso, which was shot in a carpark. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to put myself in a similar situation and create something that’s my own with how I see things.
A challenge for me with this shoot was working with a combination of direct and indirect light and using different composition methods to try and create interesting and unconventional images that still captured the connection between two people and told a story of who they are. At some points, I underexposed more than I usually would, but keeping myself in check and reminding myself that all you need is just the right amount of light for this moment. No need for everything to be well exposed or the shadows to be brought up so we can see all the details. Over the process of this shoot, I was learning that all I needed was just a fraction of light to convey the story I wanted to because it was about the couple, not how glamorous or nice everything around them looked. You’ll get to see the difference between how everything feels once you see the photos from the outside area of the carpark where there was light everywhere, and then see pictures back inside the carpark where you’re completely drawn into the couple, again.
I was thankful that I got to photograph Kris & Kirsty, cause they were the perfect fit for this situation. Street style kids who were goofy but so in love and affectionate with one another. I wanted people who’ve looked at these images to feel like they got a glimpse of couples of kids hanging out together, and all you really needed was the right amount of light and for the couple to just be themselves and for me to capture the right moments.
This was less about the “carpark” or “lack of beautiful vistas in the background” and more about really being drawn into the intimacy and intricacy of human connection. Getting in close and highlighting only the bare minimum, which draws you into who the subjects were, what they were feeling, curious about their story, rather than being wowed by amazing backgrounds and details and forgetting that this is all about the people in the photo.
I love them all. They both seem so natural in front of the camera. I noticed daytime and night time and I liked them equally.